The '73 we just bought is a 4 speed. Any opinions? Good or bad?

Thanks!

The 914 only came with a five speed. Your linkage may be out of adjustment or some of the bushings may be worn or broken.

How many of you prefer 5 over 4 speeds? The car we bought is a 4 speed. Good, bad, ugly? I know that 5 speed was an option in the day correct?

If you are talking of 914s then you are missing a gear. They only came in 5 speed.

Its a dogleg gearbox, first is below reverse, chances are that you have mistaken second for first.....

Or miss counted reverse as it requires push down lockout before shift into gears.

Never an option 5 speed only on a 4cyl car,cheers.

914 were all 5 speeds, 60's 912 and 930 were 4 speeds. IIRC
Some V8 builders would leave 1st gear out, as it's a weak gear for drag race starts. Most big engines can easily start off from 2nd.

When I first got a 914 I thought it was a 4 speed and wondered why it was such a dog in 1st (which was really 2nd) till I read the owners manual.

Click to view attachment

By any chance is your car a v8 conversion? Many of those have been converted to 4 speed boxes. Stock they were all 5 speed.

Zach

Uh oh....... I hope the seller just assumed this car was a 4 speed and it was not something the seller told him. That would raise my suspicions about anything else they may have told him. I am hoping he actually laid hands and eyes on this car before making the purchase or at the minimum had a PPI by a knowledgeable 914 owner, etc.

Sadly I need the pattern displayed on all my cars. The pattern is different in each one. Otherwise I'm in driveway hunting for reverse.
I think the PO of mine 914 just left it in second or third all the time There was switch to reverse. He didn't even think it still had a clutch. I was happy to find it still did.

Yeah if the transmission is stock, 99.99% guaranteed it'll be a dog-leg 5 speed manual. Also...

The green 2.0 we just bought is a 4 speed. Besides gear pattern and lower rpm's at higher speed is there any benefit to a 4 speed vs 5 speed? Just looking for opinions.

Thanks!

It's only 4 speed if someone left out first gear. No 914 was built that way from the factory.

As stated in your other thread, there was no 4 speed transmissions in 914s.

Your car either has a mis-aligned shift rod, worn shift rod bushings, or internal component failure.

....maybe one of the previous owners swapped it with an older 911 or 912 4 speed tranny and put a 914 tailpiece on it..... I read about someone doing this in another thread here. That would account for the 4 speed.... I think the owner was told this was an original car, but the mirrors aren't....maybe the transmission isn't either?

Weren't the Sportomatics 4 speed?

Thanks guys...I thought they were all 5 speeds but the damned salesman told me on the phone it was a 4 speed. I thought he was full of it. I appreciate your input. I'm told that all gears work fine except 5th (by another salesman) And it grinds going into 5th.

Have you actually laid eyes on the car?

I'm afraid you are going to experience some disappointment if you are relying on a salesperson's description of the condition of the car.

Yep that's a lesson I've learned the hard way
Please make your checks carefully!

That little Type IV engine would really be a dog with a 4-speed.......the engine demands a 5-speed for half-way decent performance, but my 2.0 does fine with it - IMHO....

No, no manual tranny's made in 4-speed, as all have said......

GN

A bug or 911 4 speed would have to have the ring gear flipped.
Or else 4 reverse gears

I seriously doubt someone put a grand of labor into flipping the ring gear on a 4 speed box